Will British Speedway Survive ?

[cityrebel]

45 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Is that out of choice or are they advised to.....

Advised i reckon. I never take advice from the missus. I agree to everything and do nothing!

[rjsj9803]

4 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I remember as a kid being allowed access to the pits after the racing collecting autographs and being in awe of the riders...and of course during the interval one lucky kid got the chance to ride pillion on a bike but, of course, Health & Safety put a stop to that.

The good old days Steve lol 2 of my biggest memories were going pillion with Finn Thomsen and George Hunter.

Then going to 1977 Jubilee fancy dress a few weeks later with a face scarf Finn gave me, with my homemade Wolves bib, dads safety goggles etc etc!!

I was hooked!

[BWitcher]

28 minutes ago, Spl77 said:

Well according to the UK office figures 60733 confirmed cases with 7094 deaths that puts the death rate at 8% while Spain and Italy both run at around 10%.

You do realise at least 80% of cases aren't tested?

Try again with countries that test more.

USA has tested the most, its 3.5%

Even that's not accurate, as there will be thousands that aren't tested... plus there will be more die of those already tested. No figure can be given with any certainty at this stage. 

One thing is absolutely certain though, its nowhere near 6,8 or 10%.

Edited April 9, 2020 by BWitcher

[Sidney the robin]

31 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Advised i reckon. I never take advice from the missus. I agree to everything and do nothing!

I am the same City huff and puff moan and groan but she still gets her way but 99 per cent of the time she is right.!!!!

[steve roberts]

30 minutes ago, rjsj9803 said:

The good old days Steve lol 2 of my biggest memories were going pillion with Finn Thomsen and George Hunter.

Then going to 1977 Jubilee fancy dress a few weeks later with a face scarf Finn gave me, with my homemade Wolves bib, dads safety goggles etc etc!!

I was hooked!

Yes I also remember presenting Dag Lovaas with a bottle of champagne at the final meeting of 1975 on the centre green at Cowley. Funny but both Finn and George were riding in that meeting as was Gary Petersen which I guess may well have been his last meeting before he was tragically killed.

I was hooked form the very first meeting I attended...probably the smell but I do recall being absolutely thrilled seeing these mad blokes riding bikes with no brakes and without a care it seemed. Great memories!

[steve roberts]

5 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

So important Witcher this happening it has stayed with me forever and Lee Kilby is pushing and trying  very hard to get kids involved at Swindon.It is heartwarming when you see the young uns looking at the bikes beforehand in awe this has to be maintained.

I remember trying to get Hasse Holmqvist's autograph as he was hanging out of the changing room window at Cowely after one particular meeting!

[Spl77]

22 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

You do realise at least 80% of cases aren't tested?

Try again with countries that test more.

USA has tested the most, its 3.5%

Even that's not accurate, as there will be thousands that aren't tested... plus there will be more die of those already tested. No figure can be given with any certainty at this stage. 

One thing is absolutely certain though, its nowhere near 6,8 or 10%.

If that's your argument don't compare it to flu then as the vast majority of flu cases go un tested/confirmed.  If you want to quote figures you can only use official ones in which case covid 19 is running at approx 8% in the UK compared to less than 1% for normal flu. 

People like you piss me off. Neither myself or my wife know any family that has had a loved one die because of flu so far between us we know 4 family's that have had a loved one die because of covid 19. 

I have nothing more to say if we don't see any speedway this year that is totally fine as long as this is beaten. In the meantime go and stick you head in the sand and let those of us who have to deal and work with this get on with it. 

[Sidney the robin]

Just now, steve roberts said:

I remember trying to get Hasse Holmqvist's autograph as he was hanging out of the changing room window at Cowely after one particular meeting!

Swindon  Steve was great , get there for 6. O'clock get your prize target Mauger,  Olsen, Michanek, Betts, Wilson ( etc).The riders then it was a different era only certain foreign commitments then so mostly they stayed for the second half.Only got Hasse once Steve to sign did not see alot of him at all couple of times for the cheetahs and Sweden the one year there was a while when they operated R/R.

[BWitcher]

1 hour ago, Spl77 said:

If that's your argument don't compare it to flu then as the vast majority of flu cases go un tested/confirmed.  If you want to quote figures you can only use official ones in which case covid 19 is running at approx 8% in the UK compared to less than 1% for normal flu. 

People like you piss me off. Neither myself or my wife know any family that has had a loved one die because of flu so far between us we know 4 family's that have had a loved one die because of covid 19. 

I have nothing more to say if we don't see any speedway this year that is totally fine as long as this is beaten. In the meantime go and stick you head in the sand and let those of us who have to deal and work with this get on with it. 

You can abuse all you like. Just because you are unable to accept the truth is not my issue.

I absolutely 100% guarantee you know plenty of people who will have influenza/pneumonia on their death certificate. They most likely had other conditions that you would say they died of, but very often when folk are vulnerable, it's a virus they catch that sadly ends things for them. You don't say they died from the flu though, you say whatever the main condition was that they had. That isn't the case now. Every death where they had covid-19 is labelled as that.. even if they had cancer, leukaemia... or heart failure for example in the case of Eddie Large.

THERE lies the difference.

I bet you say Freddie Mercury died from Aids don't you? He had aids, but it was the flu, which developed into pneumonia that finished him off. If he was around now and caught covid-19, it would be reported he died from that. 

I'm not going to debate your alleged stories, perhaps they are true, perhaps not., I am debating reality. And that reality is.. absolute 100% proven by official government records, is that up till March 27th of this year there were a total of 28398 deaths with influenza/pneumonia on the death certificate. 

If the truth pisses you off, so be it.

It's beyond me why you are so worked up about it.

[BWitcher]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

I remember trying to get Hasse Holmqvist's autograph as he was hanging out of the changing room window at Cowely after one particular meeting!

My sister and I were one of the first to get Mikael Karlssons autograph when he first came to Wolves. He was very shy and headed straight to the van he shared with his brother Peter. Peter was in the pits signing away happily, Mikael was sat in the van with his window up.. My sister wasn't waiting, just tapped on the window and he timidly opened it and signed. 

It wasn't long before he was much more approachable, especially as his English got better.. but he was always more on the shy side compared to PK.

Edited April 9, 2020 by BWitcher

[Sidney the robin]

18 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

My sister and I were one of the first to get Mikael Karlssons autograph when he first came to Wolves. He was very shy and headed straight to the van he shared with his brother Peter. Peter was in the pits signing away happily, Mikael was sat in the van with his window up.. My sister wasn't waiting, just tapped on the window and he timidly opened it and signed. 

It wasn't long before he was much more approachable, especially as his English got better.. but he was always more on the shy side compared to PK.

Both the  brothers were classy, i preferred Mr Max, but PK was  some rider really skilful probably the better rider .Pk was capable but can always remember that Max at his best could beat Leigh Adams at the Abbey not many could do that.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Sidney the robin

[BWitcher]

11 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Both the  brothers were classy, i preferred Mr Max, but PK was  some rider really skilful probably the better rider .Pk was capable but can always remember that Max at his best could beat Leigh Adams at the Abbey not many could do that.

Hard one to call, I think Mikael was the more naturally talented (although I hate that phrase normally).

I remember seeing him on Screensport whipping the top boys in Sweden when he was just 16... somewhat akin to Joe Screen in his debut year.

His debut meeting for Wolves in 1993 was at Cradley.. the team had been decimated by injuries, Mikael, aged 18,  came in and promptly beat Hancock and Hamill in his opening two rides before being wiped out by Morgan Anderson (think that was his name, but anyone feel free to correct) in his third. There were fears he'd broken his leg.. fortunately after a hospital trip it wasn't that bad.

He was developing into a genuine contender at the top of the sport until he had a really bad crash in the Australian GP, suffering concussion. He was never quite the same after that.

Leigh was one of my favorite away riders. I liked him from a very early time. Still got a Leigh Adams mug from way way back, around 1991-2 ish I think. Poss 1992 thinking about it as that's when he won the World U21. 

It's one of those mysteries why he never became a World Champion.

One thing is for sure, it's great when a club has a rider of his ilk represent them over a long period of time. Swindon had it with Leigh and Wolves have been fortunate to have it with a number of riders in recent times, starting with Sam Ermolenko and Ronnie Correy, through the Karlsson brothers and of course more recently Freddie Lindgren. Tai Woffinden too but to a lesser extent.

It's such a shame British speedway has gone the way it has or Lindgren/Woffinden at Wolves would be a partnership that I think would have surpassed Ermolenko/Correy, Ermolenko/Karlsson, Karlsson/Max, Karlsson/Lindgren etc.

Edited April 9, 2020 by BWitcher

[Sidney the robin]

4 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Hard one to call, I think Mikael was the more naturally talented (although I hate that phrase normally).

I remember seeing him on Screensport whipping the top boys in Sweden when he was just 16... somewhat akin to Joe Screen in his debut year.

His debut meeting for Wolves in 1993 was at Cradley.. the team had been decimated by injuries, Mikael, aged 18,  came in and promptly beat Hancock and Hamill in his opening two rides before being wiped out by Morgan Anderson (think that was his name, but anyone feel free to correct) in his third. There were fears he'd broken his leg.. fortunately after a hospital trip it wasn't that bad.

He was developing into a genuine contender at the top of the sport until he had a really bad crash in the Australian GP, suffering concussion. He was never quite the same after that.

Leigh was one of my favorite away riders. I liked him from a very early time. Still got a Leigh Adams mug from way way back, around 1991-2 ish I think. Poss 1992 thinking about it as that's when he won the World U21. 

It's one of those mysteries why he never became a World Champion.

Yes Witcher Leigh and Crumpie snr) have so much in common they both could of won a Worrld championship.Leigh probably more so but Jason often got in the way.Leigh was  a class  act i took him for granted really but because i was a Crump ( jnr) fan never really took to him like Briggs, Ashby, Crump ( snr) ( etc).Going back to Wolves in Sam, both Karlsson brothers, Freddie, Tai, Pawlicki( briefly) and to a lesser exstent Jacob the club has had some real great club men.

[rjsj9803]

55 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Hard one to call, I think Mikael was the more naturally talented (although I hate that phrase normally).

I remember seeing him on Screensport whipping the top boys in Sweden when he was just 16... somewhat akin to Joe Screen in his debut year.

His debut meeting for Wolves in 1993 was at Cradley.. the team had been decimated by injuries, Mikael, aged 18,  came in and promptly beat Hancock and Hamill in his opening two rides before being wiped out by Morgan Anderson (think that was his name, but anyone feel free to correct) in his third. There were fears he'd broken his leg.. fortunately after a hospital trip it wasn't that bad.

He was developing into a genuine contender at the top of the sport until he had a really bad crash in the Australian GP, suffering concussion. He was never quite the same after that.
 

Yes Dudley Wood 93, that was one meeting I remember for the wrong reasons too, over the moon with our new signing walloping H&H in his first 2 rides at the place, then yeah erm fenced in his next and out!

Loved watching Mikael round Peterborough, 1996 run off between Sullivan v Max then I think (unsure), Mikael hitting the fence in a classic and just winding it on.

[BWitcher]

1 minute ago, rjsj9803 said:

Yes Dudley Wood 93, that was one meeting I remember for the wrong reasons too, over the moon with our new signing walloping H&H in his first 2 rides at the place, then yeah erm fenced in his next and out!

Loved watching Mikael round Peterborough, 1996 run off between Sullivan v Max then I think (unsure), Mikael hitting the fence in a classic and just winding it on.

Too right, absolute epic race, lost my voice in that one for sure.

The whole of 1996 was amazing. I was fortunate enough to get to every match home and away that year and will never forget it, so many memories.

Stewart McDonald in the Cup Final 1st leg at Long Eaton, riding injured.. Winning that final, with our home leg on a neutral track just topped it all I think. I remember the crowd that night was massive, Wolves, Peterborough and a load of Long Eaton fans there for the occasion too.

 

[rjsj9803]

18 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

Too right, absolute epic race, lost my voice in that one for sure.

The whole of 1996 was amazing. I was fortunate enough to get to every match home and away that year and will never forget it, so many memories.

Stewart McDonald in the Cup Final 1st leg at Long Eaton, riding injured.. Winning that final, with our home leg on a neutral track just topped it all I think. I remember the crowd that night was massive, Wolves, Peterborough and a load of Long Eaton fans there for the occasion too.

 

And running off with the riders after a track invasion at Peterborough )

[chunky]

2 hours ago, BWitcher said:

I absolutely 100% guarantee you know plenty of people who will have influenza/pneumonia on their death certificate. They most likely had other conditions that you would say they died of, but very often when folk are vulnerable, it's a virus they catch that sadly ends things for them. You don't say they died from the flu though, you say whatever the main condition was that they had. That isn't the case now. Every death where they had covid-19 is labelled as that.. even if they had cancer, leukaemia... or heart failure for example in the case of Eddie Large.

My mum died when she was 63, and had been suffering from cancer of the aesophagus. One of the causes of death was chronic obstructive airway disease. Influenza is a major cause of excess morbidity in people with chronic obstructive airway disease.

My dad died when he was 64. He had been suffering from myasthenia gravis, and multiple myeloma. Then they discovered an inoperable tumour in his aesophagus. One of the main causes of death was pneumonia. In fact, I received a call at 6.30am on the Friday morning, informing me that he had pneumonia, and that he wouldn't last the weekend. Which he didn't.

My grandmother, who died at 93, had two causes of death listed; old age, and pneumonia.

So yes, you are correct. 

[Bagpuss]

Morten Andersen? Rode for Lynn in ‘95. And I was at that P’boro meeting too, seem to remember Sullivan riding in somebody else’s crash helmet as he had forgotten his own. But it should have been Crump in the run off (both had scored twelve and Crump only dropped points through an exclusion for having George Stancl off).

Edited April 10, 2020 by Bagpuss

[tellboy]

7 hours ago, BWitcher said:

His debut meeting for Wolves in 1993 was at Cradley.. the team had been decimated by injuries, Mikael, aged 18,  came in and promptly beat Hancock and Hamill in his opening two rides before being wiped out by Morgan Anderson (think that was his name, but anyone feel free to correct) in his third. 
 

It was Morten Andersen i think who would have been riding at that time.

Edit: Bagpuss just beat me to it.

Edited April 10, 2020 by tellboy

[steve roberts]

6 minutes ago, tellboy said:

It was Morten Andersen i think who would have been riding at that time.

Edit: Bagpuss just beat me to it.

I remember Morten riding for Oxford and one could see he had potential (although he sometimes had trouble negotiating the bends at Cowley) but he was plagued with injuries after being forced to move from Oxford (due to them losing BL status) and eventually disappeared from the scene which I thought was a great shame.